This study is designed to yield information regarding the means by which members of the B. cereus group bring about food poisoning. Work to date in this laboratory has established that these organisms produce a toxin(s) which causes fluid to accumulate in the ligated ileum of rabbits. Crude preparation of this toxin(s) are also able to elicit a diarrheal response in Rhesus monkeys and alter capillary permeability in rabbits. Work is currently in progress on the isolation of this toxin(s) and in preparation of antiserum against the purified material. These sera will then be employed for a) the detection of toxin(s) in food materials, b) quantitation of toxin(s) in various model systems and c) investigation on the serorelatedness of toxin(s) produced by various strains of the B. cereus group. Experiments will be undertaken to determine the genetic and nutritional factors influencing toxin production. This phase will involve estimation of the role of bacteriophage, plasmids and host chromosomal DNA in control of toxin production and mediation of transfer of this character.